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''Camellia oleifera'', which originated in China, is notable as an important source of edible oil (known as
tea oil Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...
or camellia oil) obtained from its seeds. It is commonly known as the oil-seed camellia or tea oil camellia, though to a lesser extent other species of ''
camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controve ...
'' are used in oil production too. It is widely distributed in China and is cultivated extensively there. It is found in
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s, thickets, banks of streams and foothills at elevations of 500 to 1,300 metres.Plants for a Future
/ref> This species looks much similar to ''
Camellia sasanqua ''Camellia sasanqua'', with common name sasanqua camellia, is a species of ''Camellia'' native to China and Japan. It is usually found growing up to an altitude of 900 metres. It is an evergreen shrub growing to 5 m tall. The leaves are bro ...
'' except the dark green, evergreen leaves are a bit larger, three to five inches long and two to three inches wide. Single, white, fragrant flowers are produced in mid to late fall, and this large shrub or small tree will reach a height of 20 feet with thin, upright, multiple trunks and branches. The crown forms a rounded or oval vase with lower branches removed.


Uses

The seeds of ''Camellia oleifera'' can be pressed to yield tea seed oil, a sweetish seasoning and cooking oil. In tea seed oil,
oleic acid Oleic acid is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils. It is an odorless, colorless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish. In chemical terms, oleic acid is classified as a monounsaturated o ...
, a monounsaturated fatty acid comprises ~80% of the total fatty acid content - the oil is similar in composition to
olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...
. Tea oil is also known as "Tea Seed Oil" when sold as cooking oil in supermarkets throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States.Antioxidant Activity and Bioactive Compounds of Tea Seed (Camellia oleifera Abel.)
/ref> It can also be used in textile manufacture, in soap making and, when burned in an
oil lamp An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...
, as a source of light. Camellia oil is also traditionally used to protect Japanese woodworking tools and cutlery from corrosion and is currently sold for that purpose.Nakahara, Y; Sato, H.; Nii, P.: "Complete Japanese Joinery: A Handbook of Japanese Tool Use and Woodworking for Joiners and Carpenters" pages 5, 15, 28. Hartley & Marks Publishers, 1998


See also

*
Tea tree oil Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor and a colour that ranges from pale yellow to nearly colourless and clear. It is derived from the leaves of the tea tree, '' Melaleuca alternifolia'', ...
is derived from '' Melaleuca alternifolia'' - it is an essential oil used for medical and cosmetic purposes and is toxic when ingested. * Tea tree is a name sometimes applied to a number of different species of plants endemic to Australia. These plants are unrelated to the
tea plant ''Camellia sinensis'' is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves and leaf buds are used to produce the popular beverage, tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (not to ...
.


References


External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2498293 oleifera Taxa named by Clarke Abel